


Wild World

by discoveringrosie



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Return of the King, Tea, University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-13
Updated: 2015-03-13
Packaged: 2018-03-17 16:18:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3535955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/discoveringrosie/pseuds/discoveringrosie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur cant seem to get the song out of his head. When he sings it to Merlin he discovers a secret about their relationship that changes it for them both.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wild World

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I just sort of sat down and wrote this in one go so it's not Betaed or anything. The song that inspired this fic is Wild World by Cat Stevens. You should really give it a listen. Thanks for reading and if you found it worthy please comment.

“Now that I've lost everything to you,”  
Arthur sang to himself as he stomped along the damp sidewalk. The smell of ozone had made him grumpy beyond belief. The first warm day of the year. What was it about that smell that made everyone so fucking happy? For Arthur it symbolized slush, rain and the hopeless, downtrodden feeling of snow in May. He simply could not understand. And why could he not get this blasted song out of his head. It was driving him insane, he couldn't think how he e got it into his head. He had no recollection of ever hearing it.  
“Oh baby, baby it’s a wild world,”  
He continued the endless tune, hoping singing it would force the damn thing from his mind. He made a sharp turn and stopped at the front door to his and Merlin’s flat. For almost a year now they had made the shabby, little, London loft their home. Arthur had no idea how he had put up with it… no he remembered: Merlin.  
“Merlin I'm home.” He called out.  
The sound inside the flat bounced off of the low ceiling and reverberated around the small space. Barely a second passed before Merlin responded by bounding into the doorway and throwing himself into Arthur's arms. Arthur laughed in spite of his grumpy mood and hugged Merlin in return, picking him up so he was suspended a few centimeters from the ground. Arthur groaned, as if the effort of holding up the thin man was even a slight challenge.  
“Jesus Merlin are you putting on weight?” Arthur chided.  
“Prat.” Merlin retorted indignantly struggling out of Arthurs grip.  
They separated and stood together in the doorway for a few moments, simply looking into eachothers eyes. Arthur would never understand how he could have fallen so deeply in love. Merlin interrupted his shameless eye groping session and took Arthur's hands, leading him further into the flat. Arthur was helpless to resist.  
“Have you been outside much today? The weather is absolutely lovely.” Merlin asked, turning and flashing a bright, exited smile.  
“Oh god, not you too. Why is everyone so obsessed with the bloody weather anyways? It’s not like it’s anything new. This happens every year afterall.” Arthur answered, anxious to spill the rant he could feel forming in his chest. The feeling of annoyance dissipated as soon as he saw Merlin's face. Merlin looked at him, blue eyes reproachful.  
“Arthur! You can’t hate spring, its like someone hating kittens or cupcakes”  
“Well I do. I think its a pointless thing to get all excited about.”  
Merlin shook his head sadly. Merlin had always been able to see the beauty in things the way Arthur never could. Arthur only saw the beauty in Merlin.  
Both men quickly fell into a pattern. Merlin went into the small bedroom where he selected a DVD from the pile on top of the bookshelf. Arthur busied himself by making two large mugs of tea and filling them with the appropriate amounts of milk and sugar (or obscene amounts of it in Merlin’s case).  
In a matter of minutes they reconvened in the living room. Arthur sat down first, stretching his long legs out on the length of the couch. Merlin followed soon after, fitting perfectly against his boyfriend's chest. They watched more than half of Return Of The King before Arthur began nodding off. His eyes grew heavier and heavier but he struggled to stay awake, knowing Merlin loved to watch the final wedding scene together. More time passed and suddenly Arthur noticed his boyfriend's eyes had tears in them, making the blue shine brighter than usual. He sat up and cradled Merlin's face in his hands. They had both seen this movie way too many times to be tearing up at the spider scene. Merlin did not even seem to notice him until Arthur began rubbing soft circles at the base of Merlin's neck, an exercise which had worked to comfort him as long as they had known each other. Merlin seemed to relax and he finally looked up at Arthur with a question in his eyes.  
“Why did you stop?” he asked in a soft voice  
“Stop what love?” Arthur said, brow creasing. He did not know what Merlin was talking about.  
“you were singing, You didn't notice?” Merlin's eyes widened.  
“Was I? Sorry. I’ve had this song stuck in my head all day. I had no idea my singing was that bad.” Arthur chucked halfheartedly, trying to lighten the mood.  
Merlin shook his head and looked up at Arthur with awe.  
“I had no idea you even remembered that song, it was such a long time ago.” Merlin continued to shake his head slowly and smile at Arthur with a look in his eyes that Arthur could not identify.  
Arthur racked his brain for the memory connected with that song. His eyes scanned the room for clues and came to rest on the shelf next to the door.  
A framed photo of Arthur and Merlin standing outside the gates of university, arms around each other locked in a kiss sat coated in a thin layer of dust. All of a sudden he remembered everything.  
Second year at uni he had been woken in the middle of the night by the sound of singing. The angelic voice coming from the bathroom continued and Arthur could not help but investigate. He tiptoed into the boy’s loos. Who showered at 2:47 in the morning anyways? As he grew closer the singing grew clearer.

“Now that I've lost everything to you  
You say you wanna start something new  
And it's breakin' my heart you're leavin'  
Baby, I'm grievin'  
But if you wanna leave, take good care  
I hope you have a lot of nice things to wear  
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there  
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world  
It's hard to get by just upon a smile  
Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world” 

That song had haunted him for weeks afterward. He had spend hours on the grass outside his dorm with the smell of ozone poignant and sharp in the spring air, trying to identify the voice from that fateful night in the loos. He looked everywhere, listing in on conversations between friends and even going so far as to pay off the night guard for information. He had never found out who it was but now it all made perfect sense. Merlin had bounded eagerly into his life only a year and a half later and they had clicked instantly. Arthur had known from that moment in the mens toilets that he would never forget that voice. He looked at Merlin now years later and felt his own eyes moisten with happiness.  
“I Never doubted I would find you, I just didn't think about it until now. And you knew it was me in the loos the whole time?” Arthur asked flabbergasted.  
“I knew you would get it one day” Merlin said his smile blinding. Arthur kissed him hard and when they broke apart. The song had vanished from Arthur’s head and floated around them, brightening the dank flat with that wonderful spring smell.  
“It’s a wild world” Arthur murmured and they kissed again.


End file.
